Boston Globe feature (April 10, 2018)
Brooklyn Vegan item (March 23, 2018)
Pop Matters 8/10 review (March 30, 2018)
Pop Matters track premiere (March 26, 2018)
WFUV session (April 29, 2018)
Showing posts with label boston globe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boston globe. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
“INDELIBLE” (ABC NEWS) KRIS DELMHORST ALBUM ‘THE WILD’ ARRIVES AS SECOND LEG OF TOUR WITH JEFFREY FOUCAULT KICKS OFF TOMORROW
Kris Delmhorst’s stunning new album ‘The Wild’ is capturing
attention and reverence among critics. ‘The Wild’ debuted at #9 on the
NACC folk chart. She’s also taped a session for NPR’s Folk Alley. She
and Jeffrey Foucault (her husband and co-producer/multi-
“All The Way Around” music video here
"Indelible[,] enveloping [, and] hypnotizing... While this is one
of Delmhorst's most gently-executed albums, her gifts as a writer and
singer are still on display. "
- Allan Raible, ABC News.com, September 25, 2017
“A constant search — for love, for inspiration and for one’s own identity.”
- Amy McCarthy, The Boot, August 24, 2017
“Literate, allusive [atop] a marvelous, tense groove that holds
throughout, no matter the sonic particulars of individual songs.”
- Stuart Munro, The Boston Globe, October 19, 2017
“Affecting.”
- Chris Steffen, All Music, September 21, 2017
“Captivating.”
- Jonathan Frahm, Pop Matters, October 13, 2017
“Kris Delmhorst… has always had the ability to play emotional
resonance like an instrument, with an unparalleled command of scale and
perspective. She can create an emotional space in a song as small as a
firefly, or as large and devastating as a hurricane… She demonstrates a
mastery of that narrative tool, and the result is an album that smolders
slow and hot… Blistering honesty [accompanied by] lushness in the
music.”
- Victor Infante, Worcester Telegram, October 26, 2017, full review here
“Shivery poignancy… haunting atmospheres and emotional rivers.”
- Bliss Bowen, Pasadena Weekly, September 21, 2017
“The Wild casts a shadowy sense of reflection.”
- Paul Robicheau, Improper Bostonian, October 13, 2017
“Unique and unforgettable.”
- Next Women of Country, August 11, 2017
Kris Delmhorst/Jeffrey Foucault Tour
November 7 - Arcata Players Theater – Arcata, CA
November 8 - Palms Playhouse – Winters, CA
November 9 - Freight & Salvage – Berkeley, CA
November 10 - Don Quixotes – Felton, CA
November 11- McCabe’s - Santa Monica, CA
November 12 – Soho - Santa Barbara, CA
December 1 – The Ark - Ann Arbor, MI
December 2 - Seven Steps Up - Spring Lake, MI
December 3 - City Winery - Chicago, IL
December 5 - CSPS - Cedar Rapids, IA
December 7 - Cedar Cultural Center - Minneapolis, MN
December 8 - Stoughton Opera House - Stoughton, WI (Madison area)
December 9 - Collectivo - Milwaukee, WI
Monday, July 24, 2017
“BRILLIANT” (POP MATTERS, BOSTON GLOBE) KRIS DELMHORST RELEASES HAUNTING NEW ALBUM ‘THE WILD,’ ON SEPTEMBER 22
FIRST COLLABORATION WITH HUSBAND JEFFREY FOUCAULT PRESENTS A DARKLY
HOPEFUL, FIERCELY WISE COLLECTION CENTERED ON THE WORK OF LOSS AND
RETURN, ALIENATION AND HOMECOMING.
“Brilliant” (Pop Matters, Boston Globe) singer-songwriter Kris Delmhorst marks two decades of a life in music with the release of 'The Wild,’ on September 22. The arc of the album describes "losing the path, finding the path: losing your connection to your lover, to the muse, to your sense of self, and dead reckoning the way back," says Delmhorst. The record juxtaposes a wide open sonic template - dark washes of electric guitar and pedal steel, bright layers of acoustic guitars underlined by cello and keys - against lyrics that travel from deep melancholy to the joy of inspiration and connection. Miles Davis famously said, "Music is the space between the notes. It’s not the notes you play; it’s the notes you don’t play,” and Delmhorst uses that philosophy to create an uncluttered embrace of mystery and questioning.
‘The Wild’ is her first studio collaboration with her husband and fellow songwriter Jeffrey Foucault (“Contemporary and timeless,” NY Times), who co-produced and contributed lead guitars and backing vocals. Additionally 'The Wild’ features Foucault’s rhythm section of bassist Jeremy Moses Curtis (Booker T. Jones, Twinemen) and drummer Billy Conway (Morphine, Treat Her Right), veteran players and longtime associates in the course of Delmhorst's career. The result is an album that brings together all the threads of a life in music, and a rare intimacy between players. Of the process of recording with such a close-knit group, Delmhorst reflects, “The best moments in the studio are the ones that feel like a bunch of kids working on a sandcastle, with a dead serious teamwork devoted to something that's essentially play.” Delmhorst and Foucault will tour together in the fall of 2017, taking turns fronting the band, and playing on each other’s sets in a rare confluence of the two respected artists’ paths.
‘The Wild’s highlights include the darkly rollicking Americana of “All The Way Around,” an urgent, simmering meditation on the poles of loss and return; the searching, Faces-inflected “Rules To Games”; and the uptempo longing of “Foolish Blood," reminiscent of Wildflowers-era Tom Petty.
Title track “The Wild” explores the animal self buried under the detritus and nonsense of culture, a haunting lament for what we've lost, both inside and out. “I Don’t Need to Know It All” celebrates the elemental mystery of existence. “We have a whole lot of data at our disposal, and all of it adds up to no more than a rickety little raft on which we attempt to ride a vast, deep sea of things beyond our ability to understand.” The closer, “The Light In The Hall,” ends with an eye to the road forward, making an elegiac plea to stay awake to life and everything it brings.
All Music said, “Captivating and very intriguing… This artist is subtle in her approach with music that comes up behind you and a voice that breathes through the speakers.”
Tour Dates (all double-bills with Jeffrey Foucault):
October 20 - Stone Mt Arts Center - Brownfield ME
October 21 - Once Ballroom - Somerville MA
October 22 - Higher Ground - Burlington VT
October 25 - Gypsy Sally’s - Washington DC
October 26 - Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2 – New York, NY
October 28 - Shea Theater - Turners Falls, MA
November 2 - Ballard Homestead – Seattle, WA
November 4 - Old Church – Portland, OR
November 7 - Arcata Players Theater – Arcata, CA
November 8 - Palms Playhouse – Winters, CA
November 9 - Freight & Salvage – Berkeley, CA
November 10 - Don Quixotes – Felton, CA
November 11- McCabe’s - Santa Monica, CA
November 12 – Soho - Santa Barbara, CA
December 1 – The Ark - Ann Arbor, MI
December 2 - Seven Steps Up - Spring Lake, MI
December 3 - City Winery - Chicago, IL
December 5 - CSPS - Cedar Rapids, IA
December 7 - Cedar Cultural Center - Minneapolis, MN
December 8 - Stoughton Opera House - Stoughton, WI (Madison area)
December 9 - Collectivo - Milwaukee, WI
‘The Wild’ Track Listing
1. All The Way Around
2. Temporary Existence
3. The Wild
4. Rules to Games
5. I Don’t Need To Know It All
6. Magnolia
7. Color of the Sky
8. Foolish Blood
9. Lonely West
10. Hollow
11. Tracks in the Snow
12. The Light in the Hall
“Brilliant” (Pop Matters, Boston Globe) singer-songwriter Kris Delmhorst marks two decades of a life in music with the release of 'The Wild,’ on September 22. The arc of the album describes "losing the path, finding the path: losing your connection to your lover, to the muse, to your sense of self, and dead reckoning the way back," says Delmhorst. The record juxtaposes a wide open sonic template - dark washes of electric guitar and pedal steel, bright layers of acoustic guitars underlined by cello and keys - against lyrics that travel from deep melancholy to the joy of inspiration and connection. Miles Davis famously said, "Music is the space between the notes. It’s not the notes you play; it’s the notes you don’t play,” and Delmhorst uses that philosophy to create an uncluttered embrace of mystery and questioning.
‘The Wild’ is her first studio collaboration with her husband and fellow songwriter Jeffrey Foucault (“Contemporary and timeless,” NY Times), who co-produced and contributed lead guitars and backing vocals. Additionally 'The Wild’ features Foucault’s rhythm section of bassist Jeremy Moses Curtis (Booker T. Jones, Twinemen) and drummer Billy Conway (Morphine, Treat Her Right), veteran players and longtime associates in the course of Delmhorst's career. The result is an album that brings together all the threads of a life in music, and a rare intimacy between players. Of the process of recording with such a close-knit group, Delmhorst reflects, “The best moments in the studio are the ones that feel like a bunch of kids working on a sandcastle, with a dead serious teamwork devoted to something that's essentially play.” Delmhorst and Foucault will tour together in the fall of 2017, taking turns fronting the band, and playing on each other’s sets in a rare confluence of the two respected artists’ paths.
‘The Wild’s highlights include the darkly rollicking Americana of “All The Way Around,” an urgent, simmering meditation on the poles of loss and return; the searching, Faces-inflected “Rules To Games”; and the uptempo longing of “Foolish Blood," reminiscent of Wildflowers-era Tom Petty.
Title track “The Wild” explores the animal self buried under the detritus and nonsense of culture, a haunting lament for what we've lost, both inside and out. “I Don’t Need to Know It All” celebrates the elemental mystery of existence. “We have a whole lot of data at our disposal, and all of it adds up to no more than a rickety little raft on which we attempt to ride a vast, deep sea of things beyond our ability to understand.” The closer, “The Light In The Hall,” ends with an eye to the road forward, making an elegiac plea to stay awake to life and everything it brings.
All Music said, “Captivating and very intriguing… This artist is subtle in her approach with music that comes up behind you and a voice that breathes through the speakers.”
Tour Dates (all double-bills with Jeffrey Foucault):
October 20 - Stone Mt Arts Center - Brownfield ME
October 21 - Once Ballroom - Somerville MA
October 22 - Higher Ground - Burlington VT
October 25 - Gypsy Sally’s - Washington DC
October 26 - Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2 – New York, NY
October 28 - Shea Theater - Turners Falls, MA
November 2 - Ballard Homestead – Seattle, WA
November 4 - Old Church – Portland, OR
November 7 - Arcata Players Theater – Arcata, CA
November 8 - Palms Playhouse – Winters, CA
November 9 - Freight & Salvage – Berkeley, CA
November 10 - Don Quixotes – Felton, CA
November 11- McCabe’s - Santa Monica, CA
November 12 – Soho - Santa Barbara, CA
December 1 – The Ark - Ann Arbor, MI
December 2 - Seven Steps Up - Spring Lake, MI
December 3 - City Winery - Chicago, IL
December 5 - CSPS - Cedar Rapids, IA
December 7 - Cedar Cultural Center - Minneapolis, MN
December 8 - Stoughton Opera House - Stoughton, WI (Madison area)
December 9 - Collectivo - Milwaukee, WI
‘The Wild’ Track Listing
1. All The Way Around
2. Temporary Existence
3. The Wild
4. Rules to Games
5. I Don’t Need To Know It All
6. Magnolia
7. Color of the Sky
8. Foolish Blood
9. Lonely West
10. Hollow
11. Tracks in the Snow
12. The Light in the Hall
Thursday, April 28, 2016
INDIE ROCK/FOLK WINTERPILLS Q&A WITH JONATHAN LETHEM IN VULTURE AS NPR PERFORMANCE/CHAT TO AIR MAY 3
BAND ANNOUNCES VINYL REISSUE OF SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM WITH BONUS TRACK ON DATE
NORTHEAST TOUR DATES CONTINUE AS WINTERPILLS ADDED TO GREEN RIVER FEST JULY 10
New York Times-bestselling novelist Jonathan Lethem and Winterpills songwriter and lead singer Philip Price engage in a fascinating Q&A in Vulture that touches on films and paintings; the dynamic between the husband-wife duo that leads the band; the influence of Elliott Smith; and the larger sonic scale of new album ‘Love Songs’ (Signature Sounds): http://www.vulture.com/2016/
NPR World Café has set a date for the indie rock/folk band’s performance chat on May 3. A Relix Magazine “On the Verge” profile is planned.
Meanwhile, northeast tour dates continue including in May in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. as the band was added to Green River Festival on July 10, the same date at the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos, and Margo Price.
Signature Sounds has also set a release date to reissue its self-titled debut with lyrics and liner notes on a full-color inner sleeve, clear blue vinyl, and a never-before-heard song included in the download on June 24.
"8 stars… essential... beautifully crafted."
- Eric Danton, Paste Magazine, March 22, 2016
“The album may be the New Englanders’ best work to date, which is saying quite a lot… words and music resonate.”
- Jon Chattman, Huffington Post, April 13, 2016
“The latest and perhaps finest iteration of its gorgeous, slow-burning chamber folk [is] ‘Love Songs, a wide-ranging exploration of the phenomenon as manifested in romantic and other guises.”
- Stuart Munro, Boston Globe, March 9, 2016
“Enamouring.”
- Lee Zimmerman, Blurt, April 26, 2016
“Powerful… Winterpills choruses and arranged instrumentation together provides some of the most moving movements heard since Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue.”
- Sjimon Gompers, Impose, February 26, 2016
Winterpills Tour Dates
April 30 - The Stone Church - Newmarket, NH (w/ Arc Iris)
Tickets
May 6 - IOTA Club & Café - Arlington, VA (w/ Luray)
May 7 - World Cafe Live Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA (w/ Arc Iris)
July 10 - Green River Festival - Greenfield, MA (w/ Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos,
Amy Helm)
NORTHEAST TOUR DATES CONTINUE AS WINTERPILLS ADDED TO GREEN RIVER FEST JULY 10
New York Times-bestselling novelist Jonathan Lethem and Winterpills songwriter and lead singer Philip Price engage in a fascinating Q&A in Vulture that touches on films and paintings; the dynamic between the husband-wife duo that leads the band; the influence of Elliott Smith; and the larger sonic scale of new album ‘Love Songs’ (Signature Sounds): http://www.vulture.com/2016/
NPR World Café has set a date for the indie rock/folk band’s performance chat on May 3. A Relix Magazine “On the Verge” profile is planned.
Meanwhile, northeast tour dates continue including in May in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. as the band was added to Green River Festival on July 10, the same date at the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos, and Margo Price.
Signature Sounds has also set a release date to reissue its self-titled debut with lyrics and liner notes on a full-color inner sleeve, clear blue vinyl, and a never-before-heard song included in the download on June 24.
"8 stars… essential... beautifully crafted."
- Eric Danton, Paste Magazine, March 22, 2016
“The album may be the New Englanders’ best work to date, which is saying quite a lot… words and music resonate.”
- Jon Chattman, Huffington Post, April 13, 2016
“The latest and perhaps finest iteration of its gorgeous, slow-burning chamber folk [is] ‘Love Songs, a wide-ranging exploration of the phenomenon as manifested in romantic and other guises.”
- Stuart Munro, Boston Globe, March 9, 2016
“Enamouring.”
- Lee Zimmerman, Blurt, April 26, 2016
“Powerful… Winterpills choruses and arranged instrumentation together provides some of the most moving movements heard since Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue.”
- Sjimon Gompers, Impose, February 26, 2016
Winterpills Tour Dates
April 30 - The Stone Church - Newmarket, NH (w/ Arc Iris)
Tickets
May 6 - IOTA Club & Café - Arlington, VA (w/ Luray)
May 7 - World Cafe Live Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA (w/ Arc Iris)
July 10 - Green River Festival - Greenfield, MA (w/ Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos,
Amy Helm)
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
“EXPERTLY CRAFTED INDIEPOP” (BROOKLYN VEGAN) OF PINEY GIR WRAPS UP TOUR WITH GAZ COOMBES, UNVEILS NEW ANIMATED VIDEO
Piney Gir – the London-based, Kansas-raised indie pop artist who was not
allowed to listen to pop music until the age of 14 – is earning raves
for ‘Mr. Hyde’s Wild Ride’ (Greyday) as she supported the national tour
by Gaz Coombes (Supergrass) in the past few weeks. Paste Magazine premiered the “Mouse of a Ghost,” featuring a drunk, animated penguin
president planning to bomb Disney World.
Here's the brand new "Tilt a Whirl" video.
Here’s what we’ve hearing and reading:
“I love it.”
- Gaz Coombes
“Expertly crafted indiepop... She’s got a way with unusual but instantly catchy melodies, and the album’s full of clever production touches.”
- Bill Pearis, Brooklyn Vegan, March 22, 2016
“Enchanted pop world… Anthem-thematic exercise-orchestration where each song has this cleverly arranged thrill pop odyssey.”
- Sjimon Gompers, Impose Mag, January 9, 2016
“Nearly supernatural knack for gently askew pop songcraft.”
- Steve Smith, Boston Globe, March 23, 2016
“Delightful.”
- Pure Volume, April 5, 2016
“A melodic orgy of vibrant sounds… [Piney Gir] creates a fresh brand of whimsical indie-pop that’s drawn fair comparisons to Apples In Stereo and Jenny Lewis.”
- Michael Marotta, Vanyaland, March 25, 2016
“Beautiful melodies and catchy tunes.”
- Joey Willis, Glide Mag, December 26, 2015
“Her whimsical - but never cloying - tunes have bright, catchy melodies and her voice has a charming lilt… her songs have an underpinning of steel-strong craft.”
- Marianne Meyer, Examiner, March 31, 2016
Here's the brand new "Tilt a Whirl" video.
Here’s what we’ve hearing and reading:
“I love it.”
- Gaz Coombes
“Expertly crafted indiepop... She’s got a way with unusual but instantly catchy melodies, and the album’s full of clever production touches.”
- Bill Pearis, Brooklyn Vegan, March 22, 2016
“Enchanted pop world… Anthem-thematic exercise-orchestration where each song has this cleverly arranged thrill pop odyssey.”
- Sjimon Gompers, Impose Mag, January 9, 2016
“Nearly supernatural knack for gently askew pop songcraft.”
- Steve Smith, Boston Globe, March 23, 2016
“Delightful.”
- Pure Volume, April 5, 2016
“A melodic orgy of vibrant sounds… [Piney Gir] creates a fresh brand of whimsical indie-pop that’s drawn fair comparisons to Apples In Stereo and Jenny Lewis.”
- Michael Marotta, Vanyaland, March 25, 2016
“Beautiful melodies and catchy tunes.”
- Joey Willis, Glide Mag, December 26, 2015
“Her whimsical - but never cloying - tunes have bright, catchy melodies and her voice has a charming lilt… her songs have an underpinning of steel-strong craft.”
- Marianne Meyer, Examiner, March 31, 2016
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
GUITAR PLAYER SPOTLIGHTS TED DROZDOWSKI’S SCISSORMEN IN FEATURE AS MUSIC CITY ROOTS AIRS PERFORMANCE ON PSYCH-ROOTS BAND
HEADS UP TO PHILLY & DC: BAND TOURING NORTHEAST IN NOVEMBER
Nashville psychedelic-roots band Ted Drozdowski’s Scissormen is the subject of a Guitar Player feature and will perform on syndicated radio show Music City Roots on October 28. The band will also launch a northeast tour in November, including stops in Philly and D.C.
“Psychedelic juke joint… great songs, a sense of mystery, and the concept of a record as a work of art in and of itself… The guitarist and his Scissormen put on take-no-prisoners shows.”
- Michael Ross, Guitar Player, December, 2015
“So damn enthralling… Rooted in the deepest of blues yet explores the outer edges of the cosmos.”
- Sean L. Maloney, Nashville Scene, August 13, 2015
“Blues-drenched, sometimes psychedelic.”
- Ed Symkus, Boston Globe, July 30, 2015
“The gnarliest album recorded in a tent that you'll hear all day.”
- Chris Steffen, All Music, July 23, 2015
“Staggering guitar skills.”
- Chuck Armstrong, Diffuser.FM, April 20, 2015
“Raw garage rock.”
- Adrien Begrand, Pop Matters, June 29, 2015
“Furious blues… Slide guitar wizard… There’s his hobby of using just about anything and everything available to him for playing slide guitar, including forks, knives, bottles and pistols…”
- Pollstar, August 6, 2015
“singular music vision… It's his strongest, most satisfying work to date... Forward-looking, yet anchored firmly in its roots, 'Love & Life' reinforces the status of Ted Drozdowski's Scissormen as one of the most outstanding bands on the scene."
- Melanie Young, Living Blues, August, 2015
“Drozdowski’s Scissormen cut through the bullshit… Contemporary cosmic blues drenched in reverb and the dark bayou demons that inhabit each day… Love & Life isn’t your typical virtuoso release. It’s the fulcrum wherein Drozdowski pairs his devotion to a music whose roots run deeper than democracy.”
- 80/100, Mike Jurkovic, Elmore Magazine, August 4, 2015
“A very deep groove.”
- Lee Zimmerman, Pop Matters, July 28, 2015
Ted Drozdowski’s Scissormen Tour Dates
October 28 – Franklin, TN – Music City Roots
November 5 – Falls Church, VA – JV’s Restaurant
November 6 – Linden, NJ – Robin’s Nest Rhythm and Blues
November 7 – Philadelphia, PA – The Twisted Tail
December 4 – Nashville, TN – The Family Wash
January 29 – Franklin, TN – Gray’s On Main
January 30 – Marietta, GA – Darwin’s
Nashville psychedelic-roots band Ted Drozdowski’s Scissormen is the subject of a Guitar Player feature and will perform on syndicated radio show Music City Roots on October 28. The band will also launch a northeast tour in November, including stops in Philly and D.C.
“Psychedelic juke joint… great songs, a sense of mystery, and the concept of a record as a work of art in and of itself… The guitarist and his Scissormen put on take-no-prisoners shows.”
- Michael Ross, Guitar Player, December, 2015
“So damn enthralling… Rooted in the deepest of blues yet explores the outer edges of the cosmos.”
- Sean L. Maloney, Nashville Scene, August 13, 2015
“Blues-drenched, sometimes psychedelic.”
- Ed Symkus, Boston Globe, July 30, 2015
“The gnarliest album recorded in a tent that you'll hear all day.”
- Chris Steffen, All Music, July 23, 2015
“Staggering guitar skills.”
- Chuck Armstrong, Diffuser.FM, April 20, 2015
“Raw garage rock.”
- Adrien Begrand, Pop Matters, June 29, 2015
“Furious blues… Slide guitar wizard… There’s his hobby of using just about anything and everything available to him for playing slide guitar, including forks, knives, bottles and pistols…”
- Pollstar, August 6, 2015
“singular music vision… It's his strongest, most satisfying work to date... Forward-looking, yet anchored firmly in its roots, 'Love & Life' reinforces the status of Ted Drozdowski's Scissormen as one of the most outstanding bands on the scene."
- Melanie Young, Living Blues, August, 2015
“Drozdowski’s Scissormen cut through the bullshit… Contemporary cosmic blues drenched in reverb and the dark bayou demons that inhabit each day… Love & Life isn’t your typical virtuoso release. It’s the fulcrum wherein Drozdowski pairs his devotion to a music whose roots run deeper than democracy.”
- 80/100, Mike Jurkovic, Elmore Magazine, August 4, 2015
“A very deep groove.”
- Lee Zimmerman, Pop Matters, July 28, 2015
Ted Drozdowski’s Scissormen Tour Dates
October 28 – Franklin, TN – Music City Roots
November 5 – Falls Church, VA – JV’s Restaurant
November 6 – Linden, NJ – Robin’s Nest Rhythm and Blues
November 7 – Philadelphia, PA – The Twisted Tail
December 4 – Nashville, TN – The Family Wash
January 29 – Franklin, TN – Gray’s On Main
January 30 – Marietta, GA – Darwin’s
Friday, July 31, 2015
Thursday, June 25, 2015
EILEN JEWELL CONFIRMS WNYC LEONARD LOPATE PERFORMANCE/CHAT JULY 13 AND CITY WINERY SHOW JULY 14
‘SUNDOWN OVER GHOST TOWN’ (SIGNATURE SOUNDS) STAYS STRONG AT #7 ON AMERICANA RADIO CHART FOLLOWING NBC NIGHTLY NEWS APPEARANCE
Eilen Jewell – the Idaho-born Americana songwriter who was recently profiled by NPR Morning Edition – has confirmed a concert at City Winery July 14 and a performance/chat on WNYC’s Leonard Lopate on July 13. Jewell sold out a City Winery concert February, 2015. Meanwhile, 'Sundown Over Ghost Town' (Signature Sounds) has stayed strong at #7 on the Americana Music Association radio chart. NBC Nightly News aired a segment on Apple Music Monday night and included an interview with Eilen. Here’s NPR’s profile: http://www.npr.org/2015/05/27/
Jewell has earned spotlights from Entertainment Weekly, Mother Jones, American Songwriter, CMT Edge, The Boot, and beyond. Her vivid portraits of life and culture in Idaho have earned her best-of-career notice. Most recently, The Boston Globe called 'Sundown Over Ghost Town' “remarkable.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer said, "She's always been one of the most arresting of Americana singer-songwriters, and here she weds vivid imagery to similarly spare and evocative music."
WHO: Signature Sounds artist Eilen Jewell and her band
WHAT: Headlining NYC concert
WHERE: City Winery
WHEN: 8pm, July 14, 2015
TICKETS: http://www.citywinery.com/
Eilen Jewell – the Idaho-born Americana songwriter who was recently profiled by NPR Morning Edition – has confirmed a concert at City Winery July 14 and a performance/chat on WNYC’s Leonard Lopate on July 13. Jewell sold out a City Winery concert February, 2015. Meanwhile, 'Sundown Over Ghost Town' (Signature Sounds) has stayed strong at #7 on the Americana Music Association radio chart. NBC Nightly News aired a segment on Apple Music Monday night and included an interview with Eilen. Here’s NPR’s profile: http://www.npr.org/2015/05/27/
Jewell has earned spotlights from Entertainment Weekly, Mother Jones, American Songwriter, CMT Edge, The Boot, and beyond. Her vivid portraits of life and culture in Idaho have earned her best-of-career notice. Most recently, The Boston Globe called 'Sundown Over Ghost Town' “remarkable.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer said, "She's always been one of the most arresting of Americana singer-songwriters, and here she weds vivid imagery to similarly spare and evocative music."
WHO: Signature Sounds artist Eilen Jewell and her band
WHAT: Headlining NYC concert
WHERE: City Winery
WHEN: 8pm, July 14, 2015
TICKETS: http://www.citywinery.com/
Friday, May 15, 2015
Monday, December 1, 2014
Signature Sounds 20th anniversary press clips
Thursday, October 16, 2014
FAST-RISING JOE FLETCHER NEW ALBUM ‘YOU’VE GOT THE WRONG MAN’ DEBUTS ON HEATSEEKERS CHART
SOLO ALBUM HERALDED BY ROLLING STONE, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, ESQUIRE AND BEYOND
SPOTIFY FEATURES “I NEVER (REPRISE)” ON THE PULSE OF AMERICANA PLAYLIST
For Joe Fletcher, 2014 has seen a rapid ascent into the top ranks of the Americana music world, with a debut at 69 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart today; packed sets at Americana Fest and Way Over Yonder (presented by Newport Folk); upcoming opening slots for The Devil Makes Three; and raves for his new solo album ‘You’ve Got The Wrong Man.’ Spotify has featured “I Never (Reprise),” which premiered at Paste Magazine, on its Pulse of Americana playlist.
“Must-see… [His] songs… wind and roll with steep changes, always ending with a birds-eye view that suddenly organizes it all into one delicate vision. The Rhode Islander-turned-Nashvillian's words flow more like folk poetry than verse-chorus status quo, picking on a honky-tonk spirit with a Tom Waits heart.”
- Marissa Moss, Rolling Stone, September 17, 2014
"Gritty... a bracing breath of fresh air.”
- Miles Raymer, Entertainment Weekly, October 3, 2014, full album stream
"Joe Fletcher is a natural storyteller... It's the lyrics that get you, the complexities of which are sometimes hidden by the musical styling. They paint the sort of deep portraits of American life many songwriters allude to but which few accomplish. There's darkness down there, but with it humor and, absolutely, a damn good time."
- James Joiner, Esquire, August 28, 2014
“Wildly imaginative… charmingly raw”
– Jon Freeman, Country Weekly, October 13, 2014
“A diamond in the rough.”
- Hal Horowitz, American Songwriter, October 7, 2014
“This band’s namesake gave up his day job as an English teacher to make music, and he goes to the head of the class with his latest release.”
- June Wulff, The Boston Globe, September 1, 2014
“Sounds a bit like pre-electric Dylan.”
- Bob Strauss, LA Daily News, September 22, 2014
“Awesome… [his] best yet.”
- Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, September 22, 2014
“Such a special record… Fletcher’s storytelling skills have never been better, and the characters in his songs are thoroughly developed and oh so dark.”
- Maeri Ferguson, Glide Magazine, September 25, 2014
Tour dates are here.
SPOTIFY FEATURES “I NEVER (REPRISE)” ON THE PULSE OF AMERICANA PLAYLIST
For Joe Fletcher, 2014 has seen a rapid ascent into the top ranks of the Americana music world, with a debut at 69 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart today; packed sets at Americana Fest and Way Over Yonder (presented by Newport Folk); upcoming opening slots for The Devil Makes Three; and raves for his new solo album ‘You’ve Got The Wrong Man.’ Spotify has featured “I Never (Reprise),” which premiered at Paste Magazine, on its Pulse of Americana playlist.
“Must-see… [His] songs… wind and roll with steep changes, always ending with a birds-eye view that suddenly organizes it all into one delicate vision. The Rhode Islander-turned-Nashvillian's words flow more like folk poetry than verse-chorus status quo, picking on a honky-tonk spirit with a Tom Waits heart.”
- Marissa Moss, Rolling Stone, September 17, 2014
"Gritty... a bracing breath of fresh air.”
- Miles Raymer, Entertainment Weekly, October 3, 2014, full album stream
"Joe Fletcher is a natural storyteller... It's the lyrics that get you, the complexities of which are sometimes hidden by the musical styling. They paint the sort of deep portraits of American life many songwriters allude to but which few accomplish. There's darkness down there, but with it humor and, absolutely, a damn good time."
- James Joiner, Esquire, August 28, 2014
“Wildly imaginative… charmingly raw”
– Jon Freeman, Country Weekly, October 13, 2014
“A diamond in the rough.”
- Hal Horowitz, American Songwriter, October 7, 2014
“This band’s namesake gave up his day job as an English teacher to make music, and he goes to the head of the class with his latest release.”
- June Wulff, The Boston Globe, September 1, 2014
“Sounds a bit like pre-electric Dylan.”
- Bob Strauss, LA Daily News, September 22, 2014
“Awesome… [his] best yet.”
- Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, September 22, 2014
“Such a special record… Fletcher’s storytelling skills have never been better, and the characters in his songs are thoroughly developed and oh so dark.”
- Maeri Ferguson, Glide Magazine, September 25, 2014
Tour dates are here.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
NPR FRESH AIR PERFORMANCE/CHAT ON DOM FLEMONS AIRS TOMORROW AS USA TODAY STREAMS NEW ALBUM ‘PROSPECT HILL’ NOW
Tune in to NPR today for Dom Flemons’ long-form interview and performance on Fresh Air.
Stream the new solo album ‘Prospect Hill’ (Music Maker Relief Foundation) now at USA Today.
Raves have come in from the UK and US:
“Exceptional.”
-Robin Denselow, The Guardian (UK), July 28, 2014
“Unforgettable.”
-Clive Davis, The Times (UK), July 25, 2014
“Flemons’ harmonica-heavy, foot-tapping folk makes for the perfect hot summer soundtrack.”
-Dacey Orr, Paste, June 2, 2014
“This is interracial hoedown music, irresistibly delivered with a wink and a strut, and it sounds unlike anything else on the market today.”
-John Morthland, Wondering Sound / eMusic, July 25, 2014
“Dom Flemons satisfied an old-time craving.”
-Chris Parton, CMT Edge, June 4, 2014
“A mix of traditional and original songs that explore different moods and strains of Americana… from both the head and the heart.”
-James Reed, Boston Globe, June 26, 2014
“Flemons is a likeable vocalist and has a style on several instruments that is so natural and adept that he could charm snakes.”
-Wayne Bledsoe, Knoxville News-Sentinel, July 26, 2014
“The new album from former Carolina Chocolate Drop Dom Flemons is all quick hits, nervous fits… It's like flipping through radio stations on a road trip.”
-Chris Vitiello, Independent Weekly (NC), July 16, 2014
“Musically, it ranges from fife & drum, original and traditional folk music, ragtime, hokum, early jazz, blues, proto-rock & roll, and more but they are no museum pieces: they relate to experiences in the 21st century with humor, heart, and life.”
-Woody, HearYa, June 27, 2014
Stream the new solo album ‘Prospect Hill’ (Music Maker Relief Foundation) now at USA Today.
Raves have come in from the UK and US:
“Exceptional.”
-Robin Denselow, The Guardian (UK), July 28, 2014
“Unforgettable.”
-Clive Davis, The Times (UK), July 25, 2014
“Flemons’ harmonica-heavy, foot-tapping folk makes for the perfect hot summer soundtrack.”
-Dacey Orr, Paste, June 2, 2014
“This is interracial hoedown music, irresistibly delivered with a wink and a strut, and it sounds unlike anything else on the market today.”
-John Morthland, Wondering Sound / eMusic, July 25, 2014
“Dom Flemons satisfied an old-time craving.”
-Chris Parton, CMT Edge, June 4, 2014
“A mix of traditional and original songs that explore different moods and strains of Americana… from both the head and the heart.”
-James Reed, Boston Globe, June 26, 2014
“Flemons is a likeable vocalist and has a style on several instruments that is so natural and adept that he could charm snakes.”
-Wayne Bledsoe, Knoxville News-Sentinel, July 26, 2014
“The new album from former Carolina Chocolate Drop Dom Flemons is all quick hits, nervous fits… It's like flipping through radio stations on a road trip.”
-Chris Vitiello, Independent Weekly (NC), July 16, 2014
“Musically, it ranges from fife & drum, original and traditional folk music, ragtime, hokum, early jazz, blues, proto-rock & roll, and more but they are no museum pieces: they relate to experiences in the 21st century with humor, heart, and life.”
-Woody, HearYa, June 27, 2014
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
SUGAR RAY & THE BLUETONES MARK 35TH ANNIVERSARY WITH STELLAR NEW STUDIO ALBUM ‘LIVING TEAR TO TEAR’ (AUGUST 19 / SEVERN RECORDS)
LP FOLLOWS 2014 GRAMMY NOMINATION, TWO 2014 BLUES MUSIC AWARD WINS FOR FRONTMAN SUGAR RAY NORCIA
SUGAR RAY & THE BLUETONES MIDWEST TOUR KICKS OFF JULY 15
Sugar Ray & The Bluetones – the storied blues ensemble which has backed Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Joe Turner, Roosevelt Sykes, Big Walter Horton, Big Mama Thornton, and JB Hutto – marks its 35th anniversary and sixth album for Severn Records with the August 19 release ‘Living Tear To Tear.’ The hard-swinging band fully absorbed the lessons learned from those Chicago blues masters, making it one of New England’s most beloved blues institutions. The Boston Phoenix said of its frontman, "A fixture on the national blues scene[, Sugar Ray] Norcia's elegant, emotive voice is his calling card [alongside his] rich, melodic harmonica blowing."
Sugar Ray & The Bluetones have an incredible history, from early tours with Big Walter Horton; collaborations with Ronnie Earl; backing legendary artists in Cambridge and on tour; being invited for a residency at Chicago’s legendary south side juke joint Theresa’s, musical home of Junior Wells (though they had to decline due to other commitments); and earning five Blues Music Awards nominations for their last album ‘Evening’ including Band of the Year and Album of the Year.
‘Living Tear To Tear’ promises to be even bigger, coming on the heels of an eventful year that saw the blues world take notice of Sugar Ray & The Bluetones. Norcia was nominated for a GRAMMY and won two Blues Music Awards for his singing and harmonica on the album ‘Remembering Little Walter,’ his third nomination.
Tightly-knit after decades of performances together, Sugar Ray & The Bluetones feature four strong songwriters who penned ten of the album’s twelve tracks: Norcia, guitarist Monster Mike Welch, bassist Mudcat Ward, and pianist Anthony Geraci. ‘Living Tear To Tear’ delivers a breath-of-fresh-air set including the hard-driving roadhouse music of “Rat Trap,” the gritty, South Side-style “Things Could Be Worse,” the taste of Memphis on “Short Ribs,” the stinging slow blues of “Misery,” Louisiana swamp pop on “Our Story,” the expertly done Sonny Boy Williamson II cover “99,” and the tongue-in-cheek, jazzy “Hungry But Happy.”
Kim Wilson said, “Sugar Ray is the real deal.” Norcia fronted Roomful of Blues for the better part of the ’90s. Along with Ward and Geraci, he earned a GRAMMY nomination for ‘Superharps,’ which put his musicianship alongside that of Charlie Musselwhite, Billy Branch, and James Cotton. ‘Living Tear To Tear’ marks his 17th album as a leader. All Music Guide raved, “Aside from his stellar harp work, Norcia is an excellent singer, and at his best, brings a touch of country and jazz to the blues.” For The Boston Globe, Steve Morse wrote, “Sugar Ray’s voice combines the roadhouse grit of Muddy Waters with a lonesome desperation all his own. Sugar Ray gets so down and out that he makes your skin crawl. He has an ability to convey pain as few bluesmen of his generation can.”
Mudcat Ward has been heard on over fifty albums, including Hubert Sumlin’s GRAMMY-nominated ‘About Them Shoes,’ which also featured Keith Richards and Levon Helm. He's contributed both acoustic and Fender bass in live performance with Jr. Wells, Buddy Guy, Memphis Slim, James Cotton, Lowell Fulson, Otis Rush, Big Mama Thornton, and many more.
The band’s junior member, Monster Mike Welch began his recording career as a blues guitarist at thirteen years of age and has seen the depth of feeling in his playing grow exponentially over the ensuing two decades as he’s played with individual members of the Bluetones. He has joined the likes of Junior Wells, Johnny Copeland, Joe Walsh, Susan Tedeschi, James Cotton, and Johnny Winter on stage and is featured prominently on last year’s ‘Independently Blue’ with Duke Robillard.
Anthony Geraci is one of the finest blues pianists working today, having graced performances with B.B. King, Otis Rush, and Chuck Berry, and played at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Drummer Neil Gouvin’s many credits include albums by Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters, John Hammond, Jr., and Luther Allison.
Sugar Ray & The Bluetones Summer Tour Dates:
July 12 – Ottawa, Canada – Ottawa Blues Festival
July 13 – Toronto, Canada – Waterfront Festival
July 15 - St Louis, MO - BB's Jazz Blues & Soups
July 16 - Okoboji, Iowa - Pearson Lakes Art Center
July 17 - Decatur, IL - Summer Blues in Central Park
July 18 - Chicago, IL - Buddy Guy’s Legends
July 19 – Pittsburgh, PA Thunderbird Cafe
July 26 - Boston, MA - Save The Harbor Boston Boat Cruise
July 30 - Westerly, RI - Blues On The Beach
August 9 – Gloucester, MA - Gloucester Blues Festival, Fort Stage Park
August 24 – Marshfield, MA – Marshfield Fair
SUGAR RAY & THE BLUETONES MIDWEST TOUR KICKS OFF JULY 15
Sugar Ray & The Bluetones – the storied blues ensemble which has backed Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Joe Turner, Roosevelt Sykes, Big Walter Horton, Big Mama Thornton, and JB Hutto – marks its 35th anniversary and sixth album for Severn Records with the August 19 release ‘Living Tear To Tear.’ The hard-swinging band fully absorbed the lessons learned from those Chicago blues masters, making it one of New England’s most beloved blues institutions. The Boston Phoenix said of its frontman, "A fixture on the national blues scene[, Sugar Ray] Norcia's elegant, emotive voice is his calling card [alongside his] rich, melodic harmonica blowing."
Sugar Ray & The Bluetones have an incredible history, from early tours with Big Walter Horton; collaborations with Ronnie Earl; backing legendary artists in Cambridge and on tour; being invited for a residency at Chicago’s legendary south side juke joint Theresa’s, musical home of Junior Wells (though they had to decline due to other commitments); and earning five Blues Music Awards nominations for their last album ‘Evening’ including Band of the Year and Album of the Year.
‘Living Tear To Tear’ promises to be even bigger, coming on the heels of an eventful year that saw the blues world take notice of Sugar Ray & The Bluetones. Norcia was nominated for a GRAMMY and won two Blues Music Awards for his singing and harmonica on the album ‘Remembering Little Walter,’ his third nomination.
Tightly-knit after decades of performances together, Sugar Ray & The Bluetones feature four strong songwriters who penned ten of the album’s twelve tracks: Norcia, guitarist Monster Mike Welch, bassist Mudcat Ward, and pianist Anthony Geraci. ‘Living Tear To Tear’ delivers a breath-of-fresh-air set including the hard-driving roadhouse music of “Rat Trap,” the gritty, South Side-style “Things Could Be Worse,” the taste of Memphis on “Short Ribs,” the stinging slow blues of “Misery,” Louisiana swamp pop on “Our Story,” the expertly done Sonny Boy Williamson II cover “99,” and the tongue-in-cheek, jazzy “Hungry But Happy.”
Kim Wilson said, “Sugar Ray is the real deal.” Norcia fronted Roomful of Blues for the better part of the ’90s. Along with Ward and Geraci, he earned a GRAMMY nomination for ‘Superharps,’ which put his musicianship alongside that of Charlie Musselwhite, Billy Branch, and James Cotton. ‘Living Tear To Tear’ marks his 17th album as a leader. All Music Guide raved, “Aside from his stellar harp work, Norcia is an excellent singer, and at his best, brings a touch of country and jazz to the blues.” For The Boston Globe, Steve Morse wrote, “Sugar Ray’s voice combines the roadhouse grit of Muddy Waters with a lonesome desperation all his own. Sugar Ray gets so down and out that he makes your skin crawl. He has an ability to convey pain as few bluesmen of his generation can.”
Mudcat Ward has been heard on over fifty albums, including Hubert Sumlin’s GRAMMY-nominated ‘About Them Shoes,’ which also featured Keith Richards and Levon Helm. He's contributed both acoustic and Fender bass in live performance with Jr. Wells, Buddy Guy, Memphis Slim, James Cotton, Lowell Fulson, Otis Rush, Big Mama Thornton, and many more.
The band’s junior member, Monster Mike Welch began his recording career as a blues guitarist at thirteen years of age and has seen the depth of feeling in his playing grow exponentially over the ensuing two decades as he’s played with individual members of the Bluetones. He has joined the likes of Junior Wells, Johnny Copeland, Joe Walsh, Susan Tedeschi, James Cotton, and Johnny Winter on stage and is featured prominently on last year’s ‘Independently Blue’ with Duke Robillard.
Anthony Geraci is one of the finest blues pianists working today, having graced performances with B.B. King, Otis Rush, and Chuck Berry, and played at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Drummer Neil Gouvin’s many credits include albums by Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters, John Hammond, Jr., and Luther Allison.
Sugar Ray & The Bluetones Summer Tour Dates:
July 12 – Ottawa, Canada – Ottawa Blues Festival
July 13 – Toronto, Canada – Waterfront Festival
July 15 - St Louis, MO - BB's Jazz Blues & Soups
July 16 - Okoboji, Iowa - Pearson Lakes Art Center
July 17 - Decatur, IL - Summer Blues in Central Park
July 18 - Chicago, IL - Buddy Guy’s Legends
July 19 – Pittsburgh, PA Thunderbird Cafe
July 26 - Boston, MA - Save The Harbor Boston Boat Cruise
July 30 - Westerly, RI - Blues On The Beach
August 9 – Gloucester, MA - Gloucester Blues Festival, Fort Stage Park
August 24 – Marshfield, MA – Marshfield Fair
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
THE AMERICAN SONGSTER REEMERGES
As James Reeds points out in his Q&A with Dom Flemons in The Boston Globe, (which one can read here. Dom Flemons outgoing voicemail states, “Hello, this is Dom Flemons,
American songster.” The founding member of the GRAMMY-winning, Grand Ole
Opry and Newport-playing Carolina Chocolate Drops has left to go solo
and his new album ‘Prospect Hill’ comes out July 22 on Music Maker Relief Foundation.
Flemons says, “I was first made aware of the term from Paul Oliver’s book ‘Songster and Saints.’ A songster is a musician that plays and sings their music. They are also known to sing a variety of songs that their audience would know.” Other historians describe songsters as pre-blues and early blues-era entertainer whose repertoires encompassed a vast repertoire of different genres, which in Dom’s case include: New Orleans jazz, double-entendre tunes, Piedmont blues, ballads, original songs, fife and drum music, harmonica instrumentals, and more, played with style and showmanship on a variety of instruments such as the guitar, banjo, harmonica, quills, and spoons.
Dom explains that these songs relate directly to experiences of living in the 21st century, saying, “I do what I can to find the common ground between keeping the older style present in my arrangements while finding things that speak to me as a modern person. Even though I can play a song that is 100 years old, I hope that whatever I might do I will be able to show my audience why I picked any given number and hope that they can find relevance in the way I am presenting it.”
Dom isn’t the only one talking about songsters in 2014. On June 24, Smithsonian Folkways released ‘Classic African American Songsters from Smithsonian Folkways.’ Co-producer of that compilation Barry Lee Pearson puts it, “[A songster] is both a keeper of tradition, disseminating folk materials wherever he goes, and tradition’s worst enemy, contaminating local tradition with modern popular music.”
Flemons proclaims 2014 as “Year of the folksinger,” explaining to the Boston Globe, “There’s a lot of energy and movement in the folk community that has been happening for several years. I’ve been keeping an eye on it, and I’ve seen it growing.”
In the industry, folk music is gaining track as well, most recently exemplified by the continued growth of the Americana Festival and Conference and the GRAMMYs’ addition of 'Best American Roots Song' in the American Roots Music Field, the only new category this year.
Dom Flemons tour dates are here.
Flemons says, “I embrace the twisted history that formed our country and I hope that I can play and sing to make a few small improvements.”
Flemons says, “I was first made aware of the term from Paul Oliver’s book ‘Songster and Saints.’ A songster is a musician that plays and sings their music. They are also known to sing a variety of songs that their audience would know.” Other historians describe songsters as pre-blues and early blues-era entertainer whose repertoires encompassed a vast repertoire of different genres, which in Dom’s case include: New Orleans jazz, double-entendre tunes, Piedmont blues, ballads, original songs, fife and drum music, harmonica instrumentals, and more, played with style and showmanship on a variety of instruments such as the guitar, banjo, harmonica, quills, and spoons.
Dom explains that these songs relate directly to experiences of living in the 21st century, saying, “I do what I can to find the common ground between keeping the older style present in my arrangements while finding things that speak to me as a modern person. Even though I can play a song that is 100 years old, I hope that whatever I might do I will be able to show my audience why I picked any given number and hope that they can find relevance in the way I am presenting it.”
Dom isn’t the only one talking about songsters in 2014. On June 24, Smithsonian Folkways released ‘Classic African American Songsters from Smithsonian Folkways.’ Co-producer of that compilation Barry Lee Pearson puts it, “[A songster] is both a keeper of tradition, disseminating folk materials wherever he goes, and tradition’s worst enemy, contaminating local tradition with modern popular music.”
Flemons proclaims 2014 as “Year of the folksinger,” explaining to the Boston Globe, “There’s a lot of energy and movement in the folk community that has been happening for several years. I’ve been keeping an eye on it, and I’ve seen it growing.”
In the industry, folk music is gaining track as well, most recently exemplified by the continued growth of the Americana Festival and Conference and the GRAMMYs’ addition of 'Best American Roots Song' in the American Roots Music Field, the only new category this year.
Dom Flemons tour dates are here.
Flemons says, “I embrace the twisted history that formed our country and I hope that I can play and sing to make a few small improvements.”
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
"AMBITIOUS" (NPR) DEBUT ALBUM BY LEYLA MCCALLA HAILED BY NY TIMES, PITCHFORK AND BEYOND AS FAST-RISER PLAYS SOLD OUT SHOWS IN NYC, PHILADELPHIA, AND BOSTON
Leyla McCalla's debut album 'Vari-Colored Songs: A Tribute to Langston
Hughes' has been hailed by the New York Times and others as she's played
sold out shows in New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston on her debut
headlining tour. NPR aired a 17-minute profile of the
cellist/songwriter/singer/
She's also the subject of a full-page interview profile in Pitchfork Media that tells her story from being born in NYC to pioneering unconventional cello techniques to performing Bach and trad jazz in New Orleans to joining the Carolina Chocolate Drops to her discovery of Haitian folk music and the creation of 'Vari-Colored Songs.'
Here's what we're reading:
"Her magnificently transparent music holds tidings of family, memory, solitude and the inexorability of time: weighty thoughts handled with the lightest touch imaginable."
- Jon Pareles, New York Times, February 14, 2014
"Her playing--on cello, tenor banjo and guitar--suggests a perpetual spring, giving these songs about losing innocence and finding death a vibrancy that fits their folk music function. Her voice is a velvety purr that's both wise and bright, not unlike the surreal sophistication of Jolie Holland's best work."
Grayson Currin, Pitchfork Media, February 7, 2014
"Leyla McCalla redefines the cello… Stunning... [a] rich mix of sounds,.. McCalla earns the literary company with her dark-toned songs. Her unusual cello style also matches the poetry in terms of sheer invention."
- Jim Farber, New York Daily News, February 7, 2014
"Evocative."
- Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post, January 30, 2014
"A beguiling album in the way it pulls the listener in distinct directions. At once unvarnished and sparse, like field recordings in high definition, it’s also rich with the organic suppleness."
- James Reed, The Boston Globe, February 1, 2014
"Ambitious, deep, and gorgeous."
- David Kunian, Offbeat Magazine, January, 2014
"Impressive… a fully realized and nuanced gem."
- Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
"Striking."
- Charlie Heller, New York Post, February 7, 2014
"Beautiful."
- Mark Zaretsky, New Haven Register, February 13, 2014
"Delightful… hypnotic and hybrid, with exotic echoes of an older world made fresh by the thoughtful passion of McCalla's interpretation."
- Alison Fensterstock, New Orleans Times-Picayune, February 5, 2014
"What a voice, more Billie Holiday than anything, flourishing in such bare surroundings and bringing the words, whether joyous or dark, to life... As arranger, musician and vocalist she’s a remarkable talent, and this debut is assured and a harbinger of a towering career."
- Chris Nickson, Sing Out!, December 31, 2013
She's also the subject of a full-page interview profile in Pitchfork Media that tells her story from being born in NYC to pioneering unconventional cello techniques to performing Bach and trad jazz in New Orleans to joining the Carolina Chocolate Drops to her discovery of Haitian folk music and the creation of 'Vari-Colored Songs.'
Here's what we're reading:
"Her magnificently transparent music holds tidings of family, memory, solitude and the inexorability of time: weighty thoughts handled with the lightest touch imaginable."
- Jon Pareles, New York Times, February 14, 2014
"Her playing--on cello, tenor banjo and guitar--suggests a perpetual spring, giving these songs about losing innocence and finding death a vibrancy that fits their folk music function. Her voice is a velvety purr that's both wise and bright, not unlike the surreal sophistication of Jolie Holland's best work."
Grayson Currin, Pitchfork Media, February 7, 2014
"Leyla McCalla redefines the cello… Stunning... [a] rich mix of sounds,.. McCalla earns the literary company with her dark-toned songs. Her unusual cello style also matches the poetry in terms of sheer invention."
- Jim Farber, New York Daily News, February 7, 2014
"Evocative."
- Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post, January 30, 2014
"A beguiling album in the way it pulls the listener in distinct directions. At once unvarnished and sparse, like field recordings in high definition, it’s also rich with the organic suppleness."
- James Reed, The Boston Globe, February 1, 2014
"Ambitious, deep, and gorgeous."
- David Kunian, Offbeat Magazine, January, 2014
"Impressive… a fully realized and nuanced gem."
- Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
"Striking."
- Charlie Heller, New York Post, February 7, 2014
"Beautiful."
- Mark Zaretsky, New Haven Register, February 13, 2014
"Delightful… hypnotic and hybrid, with exotic echoes of an older world made fresh by the thoughtful passion of McCalla's interpretation."
- Alison Fensterstock, New Orleans Times-Picayune, February 5, 2014
"What a voice, more Billie Holiday than anything, flourishing in such bare surroundings and bringing the words, whether joyous or dark, to life... As arranger, musician and vocalist she’s a remarkable talent, and this debut is assured and a harbinger of a towering career."
- Chris Nickson, Sing Out!, December 31, 2013
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
THE SOUNDTRACK OF ST. PATRICK'S DAY, 2014
MOJO, NPR MUSIC, THE INDEPENDENT, THE GUARDIAN, WNYC, BOSTON GLOBE, & Q MAG ALL HAIL RELEASE OF THE GLOAMING, OUT FEB 25 ON CD ON BRASSLAND
The Gloaming – a new group compromised of Martin Hayes (violin, fiddle), Thomas Bartlett aka Doveman (piano), Iarla O'Lionaird (vocals), Dennis Cahill (guitar) and Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh (hardanger fiddle) – has earned incredible notices with its debut, self-titled album, out now via digital download and February 25 on CD from Brassland. It debuted at #1 on the iTunes World Music chart and at #2 on Billboard's World Music chart and promises to be the soundtrack of St. Patrick's Day, 2014. Here's what we're reading:
"In short, this is the rare album that might well transform the syntax of a whole style… sheer beauty."
- Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR Music
"I already have to save room on my top ten list for 2014 for this next record… it is really terrific… There is something haunted and twilit about this album, very beautiful…"
- John Schaefer, WNYC New Sounds
"*****… Brilliant… a thrillingly original magic."
- Colin Irwin, MOJO
"*****… The Gloaming are a five-piece ensemble eliding Irish folk music with the contemporary New York art-music scene. The upshot is a rather ECM-ish well of open space irrigated by a flow of motifs, textures, tempos and, more abstractly, romantic yearnings." – Simmy Richman, The Independent (UK)
"Exquisite… Bravely contemporary… [They] have created a distinctive style of their own." - Robin Denselow, The Guardian (UK)
"The Gloaming is a wonderful mix of soulful and passionate talents who have created their own genre."
- Peter Gabriel
"Enormously rewarding."
- Andy Fyfe, Q Magazine
"*****… Brilliantly innovative and executed with masterly conviction… An astonishing marriage of the old and the new in music as modern as it is ancient, as epic as it is intimate."
-Michael Quinn, Songlines
"*****…Exceptional… Remarkable [and] unique… [Paints on] a wider, more expansive canvas."
– Peter Quinn, The Arts Desk
"Masterful."
– Michael Andor Brodeur, The Boston Globe
"A milestone… This debut album lives up to the loftiest of expectations. The wonderfully virtuosic music is rooted in an ancient Irish tradition, no doubt about that, but there's an experimental flavour to the compositions that makes the album such an intriguing, arresting listen."
- John Meagher, Irish Independent
"*****… This is contemporary music making at its very best: unself-conscious, freewheeling and yet deeply thoughtful, revealing layer upon layer with each listening… The Gloaming revel in wide open vistas and endless space. It’s as if each member has hankered after the company of players, all coming from distinctly different places, their knapsacks brimful of salty ideas, colourful whims and a fearless appetite for mining seams previously unexplored. With almost 60 minutes of free-flowing music to draw from, the listener is privy to a wide palette, defined more by shape and mood than tethered by genre."
-Sibhan Long, Irish Times
"Certain to become a landmark album."
- Colm O Hare, Hot Press
The Gloaming – a new group compromised of Martin Hayes (violin, fiddle), Thomas Bartlett aka Doveman (piano), Iarla O'Lionaird (vocals), Dennis Cahill (guitar) and Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh (hardanger fiddle) – has earned incredible notices with its debut, self-titled album, out now via digital download and February 25 on CD from Brassland. It debuted at #1 on the iTunes World Music chart and at #2 on Billboard's World Music chart and promises to be the soundtrack of St. Patrick's Day, 2014. Here's what we're reading:
"In short, this is the rare album that might well transform the syntax of a whole style… sheer beauty."
- Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR Music
"I already have to save room on my top ten list for 2014 for this next record… it is really terrific… There is something haunted and twilit about this album, very beautiful…"
- John Schaefer, WNYC New Sounds
"*****… Brilliant… a thrillingly original magic."
- Colin Irwin, MOJO
"*****… The Gloaming are a five-piece ensemble eliding Irish folk music with the contemporary New York art-music scene. The upshot is a rather ECM-ish well of open space irrigated by a flow of motifs, textures, tempos and, more abstractly, romantic yearnings." – Simmy Richman, The Independent (UK)
"Exquisite… Bravely contemporary… [They] have created a distinctive style of their own." - Robin Denselow, The Guardian (UK)
"The Gloaming is a wonderful mix of soulful and passionate talents who have created their own genre."
- Peter Gabriel
"Enormously rewarding."
- Andy Fyfe, Q Magazine
"*****… Brilliantly innovative and executed with masterly conviction… An astonishing marriage of the old and the new in music as modern as it is ancient, as epic as it is intimate."
-Michael Quinn, Songlines
"*****…Exceptional… Remarkable [and] unique… [Paints on] a wider, more expansive canvas."
– Peter Quinn, The Arts Desk
"Masterful."
– Michael Andor Brodeur, The Boston Globe
"A milestone… This debut album lives up to the loftiest of expectations. The wonderfully virtuosic music is rooted in an ancient Irish tradition, no doubt about that, but there's an experimental flavour to the compositions that makes the album such an intriguing, arresting listen."
- John Meagher, Irish Independent
"*****… This is contemporary music making at its very best: unself-conscious, freewheeling and yet deeply thoughtful, revealing layer upon layer with each listening… The Gloaming revel in wide open vistas and endless space. It’s as if each member has hankered after the company of players, all coming from distinctly different places, their knapsacks brimful of salty ideas, colourful whims and a fearless appetite for mining seams previously unexplored. With almost 60 minutes of free-flowing music to draw from, the listener is privy to a wide palette, defined more by shape and mood than tethered by genre."
-Sibhan Long, Irish Times
"Certain to become a landmark album."
- Colm O Hare, Hot Press
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
KINGSLEY FLOOD STEPS ONTO NATIONAL STAGE AT NEWPORT FOLK FEST
"WE WERE GOBSMACKED" – AMERICAN SONGWRITER
"SPECIAL PROPS" - BILLBOARD
Kingsley Flood kicked off the Newport Folk Festival on the
Fort Stage (the fest's largest) in a set captured by NPR Music.
Paste Magazine's Dacey Orr had named them one of ten bands
to catch at Newport, saying, "This hardworking band is rapidly making an
impression nationally. Their recent album 'Battles' holds several tracks that
translate into rowdy on-stage anthems."
Rolling Stone's James Joiner said, "Kingsley Flood
kicked off the main stage, shirking the rain with puddle-splashing,
foot-stomping folk rock and their signature high energy."
Billboard's Devon Maloney wrote, "Special props ought
to be given to a pre-rain, fest-opening set by energetic Boston mainstays
Kingsley Flood."
American Songwriter's Sean Maloney testified, "We had
never heard these guys before but we were gobsmacked – GOBSMACKED – by the
Boston band’s soulful, folk rockin’ shimmy on the Fort Stage. We heard echoes
of X’s sun-scorched punk, moments of Muscle Shoals groove and some gnarly fuzz
bass, which was the last thing we thought we would hear at a folk festival. It
was great way to kick off our fest and their new album Battles made a great
soundtrack for the ride home."
Stream 'Battles' here.
Pigeons & Planes blog called the set "a great live
show," continuing that they "did not disappoint… At turns riotous
folk rock, at others pastoral stillness, the overarching theme is their
infinitely palpable passion."
Their hometown press echoed these sentiments. The Boston
Globe offered, "Kingsley Flood played a triumphant set on the Fort Stage
Friday afternoon, alternating between heart-on-sleeve ballads and all-out
rockers."
DigBoston said, "For KF I saw more enthusiasm than I
saw at a bunch of the much bigger acts… when they left the stage I immediately
missed them."
The Boston Herald said that Kingsley Flood "absolutely
killed it, thrilling a huge crowd."
NPR Music premiered the "Sigh a While" video on
July 17.
Kingsley Flood Tour Dates
August 17, 2013 - Lowell Summer Music Series - Lowell, MA
(w/ Josh Ritter)
September 13, 2013 - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA (w/
Toy Soldiers)
September 20, 2013 - Black Cat - Washington, DC
October 12, 2013 - Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA
Monday, June 17, 2013
KINGSLEY FLOOD'S "AWESOME" (NY TIMES) VIDEO "SUN GONNA LEMME SHINE" BREAKS 10,000 VIEWS AS NEWPORT FOLK FEST DAY ANNOUNCED & DAYTROTTER SESSION POSTS
The "awesome" (New York Times) music video for
breakout band Kingsley Flood's "Sun Gonna Lemme Shine," inspired in
part by a NY Times Magazine cover story, has passed 10,000 views as Newport
Folk Festival confirmed that the band would play Friday, July 26.
Meanwhile, Huffington Post asked KF's singer Naseem Khuri for
an essay about the video entitled "Why We Made a Video About a Boy in a
Dress." Khuri writes, "While most of our recent album, Battles, does
not focus on boys wearing dresses per se, it does look at choice. Through the
eyes of people who have done all the right things and still fall behind, it
questions what choices they have to stay above water. Do they have to sell out?
Throw elbows?":
The band's Daytrotter session posted last month.
The Boston Globe said of a recent sold out show,
"Triumphant... magnetic... Singer Naseem Khuri didn't just play acoustic
guitar; he beat it into submission. He rendered two acoustic guitars unusable
by the time the band hit its encore run... Yet even within the torrent of
energy Kingsley Flood puts out live, the band distinguishes itself with richly
textured songs."
Thursday, March 21, 2013
NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL ADDS FAST-RISING KINGSLEY FLOOD AS ROLLING STONE PREMIERES MP3
THE BOSTON GLOBE: " BLISTERING… ROWDY AND PROPULSIVE…
KINGSLEY FLOOD IS READY FOR THE NATIONAL STAGE."
Called "the future of American music" by Esquire, Kingsley
Flood are emerging on the national stage in 2013. They've been added to the
lineup at Newport Folk Festival and Rolling Stone premiered the song
"Down" from 'Battles,' which was released February 5.
From throbbing, fuzzed-filled psychedelic, garage rock to
lo-fi folk, Kingsley Flood has been compared to Lucero, Deer Tick, The Clash,
Wilco, and Okkervil River. Listen here.
The two-time winners at both the Boston Music Awards and the
Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll have upcoming shows in the northeast.
"Great live
show." – NPR.org
"It’s not too
early to declare an album as my favorite of the year right? Kingsley Flood is
it." – HearYa
"Kingsley Flood play salt-of-the-earth type of music
that doesn't strive for authenticity -- it claims it." - Spinner
"Finger-picked guitar slams into the garage
stomp." – Boston Phoenix
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
PAUL RISHELL EARNS FIRST SOLO BLUES MUSIC AWARD NOMINATIONS FOR 'TALKING GUITAR' (MOJO RODEO)
New England's blues master Paul Rishell has earned his first
solo Blues Music Award nominations for Acoustic Album of the Year with 'Talking
Guitar' and for Acoustic Artist. He and harmonica-playing musical partner Annie
Raines are previous winners as a duo.
Rishell has played with and learned from Son House, Johnny
Shines, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, and Buddy Guy
& Junior Wells. With Raines, he has opened for Ray Charles, Asleep at the
Wheel, Susan Tedeschi, Leon Russell, Dr. John, and John Sebastian. The Boston
Globe's James Reed wrote a feature on Rishell last year.
In related news, Raines and Rishell played together publicly
for the first time 20 years ago December 5, marking a milestone in the fruitful
musical partnership.
Here's a postable mp3 of Rishell's rendition of
"Fannin' Street (Mr. Tom Hughes' Tom)."
The Blues Foundation will present the Blues Music Awards at
the Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis, TN, on May 9, 2013. Online
voting is open for members and ticket sales open December 13.
Paul Rishell & Annie Raines tour dates:
January 25, 2013 – Boston, MA – Institute for Contemporary
Art (w/ Woody Mann)
January 26, 2013 - Canton, CT - Roaring Brook Nature Center
February 8, 2013 - Brownfield, ME - Stone Mountain Arts
Center
February 22, 2013 - Cambridge, MA – Club Passim
February 23, 2013 - N. Eastham, MA - First Encounter
Coffeehouse
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